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The Angels have had two of the best players in the world on their roster for the past six years in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Their efforts to compete in that time came up short and Ohtani is now on the Dodgers. Many have wondered about the ripple effects of that change, whether it would lead the club to rebuild or perhaps Trout to ask to be traded.
Earlier in the offseason, general manager Perry Minasian addressed the former concern, clarifying that the club would not be rebuilding. On Monday, Trout addressed his angle to media members, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and Sam Blum of The Athletic. Notably, he said he thinks “the easy way out is to ask for a trade.”
“When I signed that contract, I’m loyal,” Trout said. “I want to win a championship here. The overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is bigger satisfaction than bailing out and just taking the easy way out. So I think that’s been my mindset. Maybe down the road, if some things change, but that’s been my mindset ever since the trade speculation came up.”
Trout’s contract pays him $35.45M annually through 2030 and he has full no-trade protection. Many have wondered if he would be willing to waive that clause to increase his chances of playing in the postseason or winning a title, but it seems that’s not where his head is now. it also seems like maybe his mind will change at some point. “I can’t predict the future,” he said.
Despite having the Ohtani-Trout tandem, the club found no success over the past six years. It was rare that both were simultaneously healthy and productive, but it’s noteworthy how poor the club fared in that time frame. They didn’t even crack .500 in that stretch, as their last winning season was in 2015. Their last playoff appearance was in 2014, and their last playoff victory was in 2009.
Now, the team appears to be in a state of flux. Owner Arte Moreno recently spoke about how the club planned to have a lower payroll this year. Meanwhile, Trout seems to have been doing his best to push against that, telling the media that he has continually encouraged Moreno to sign the top remaining free agents that are still available.
“There’s a few guys out there that I’ve talked to that want to be here for sure,” Trout said. “I’m competitive. The guys that are out there are great players and great people. It would be foolish to say I don’t want them to come here.” He didn’t name names, but Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman remain unsigned here in mid-February. “I’m going to keep pushing as long as I can,” he added. “Until the season starts or until those guys sign. It’s just in my nature. I’m doing everything I can possible. It’s obviously Arte’s decision. I’m going to put my two cents in there.” When Trout was asked if he thought Moreno would actually get something done, he responded: “Um, you know, it’s uh, yeah, no. You know how Arte is.”
The Halos had an Opening Day payroll of $212M last year, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They are only slated for $173M this year, per Roster Resource, along with a competitive balance tax figure of $188M, well below this year’s base threshold of $237M. There would be room for extra expenditures if they were willing to meet last year’s levels when they flirted with the CBT line. But with Moreno’s comments about lowering the payroll, it’s unknown how much room the club has for a big free-agent splash, despite Trout’s lobbying.
Trout has remained an effective player in recent years, though his overall workload has diminished. A left hamate fracture limited him to 82 games last year, back problems capped him at 119 games in 2022 and a right calf strain in 2021 limited him to 36 contests. Last year, his .263/.367/.490 batting line was still quite strong, translating to a wRC+ of 134. That means he was still 34% below league average, but that was his lowest grade since his cup-of-coffee debut in 2011. He hasn’t stolen more than two bases in a season since 2019.
He’s now 32 and turning 33 in August, so there will naturally be questions about his health and productivity. Even if he were to ask for a trade in the future, the Angels would likely have to eat some money to make it work. Despite all his talent, his age and the injury questions would prevent him from getting $248.15M over seven years, which is what currently remains on his deal.
For now, the Halos and Trout are still attached. Whether they can compete without Ohtani and with lower payrolls remains to be seen. They spent big on the bullpen this offseason, adding Robert Stephenson, Matt Moore, Luis García, Adam Cimberand José Cisnero, but they’ve done little to address their rotation or lineup. They face a tough division that features the reigning champion Rangers, an Astros club that’s made the ALCS seven straight years, and the well-rounded Mariners. If the Angels fall from contention again, as has happened so often, the questions about the future of the Trout-Angels relationship will only get louder.
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